A court order requested by Iran’s Department of the Environment has halted a large hotel development in Arina on the banks of the Jajroud River in Tehran Province.
The five-star hotel has been under construction on a road between Tehran and Fasham, metres from the Jajrood River.
The Department of the Environment says it acted because the terms of the construction permit have been violated.
The permit was for a seven-storey building, but a 13-storey building is now in the works, while a three-storey building planned for the complex is now projected to be a five-storey building.
The Department of the Environment maintains that developers must meet the terms of the permit due to the hotel’s proximity to the Jajrood River and the Varjin protected area, one of the province’s most important wildlife habitats.
Earlier, the Tehran governor’s office and the Water Utilities had opposed building a hotel near the Jajrood River, saying it would cause significant water pollution. However, they were unable to stop the project because the developers had already obtained the necessary permit.
The Department of the Environment says it is investigating whether the permit was fraudulently issued and it will take the matter to court when its file is complete.
